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Just
108 days before the Beijing Olympics opens, the Philippines
only has 12 qualifiers to show-and only three of them possess
solid chances at winning the country's first ever gold medal
in the quadrennial games.
But
chief of mission Monico Puentevella yesterday said the lean
but mean delegation can still pull it off with taekwondo and
boxing as the brightest spots.
"Even
in the world of sports miracles do happen. Don't lose hope.
And let us not raise false hopes," said Puentevella during
the PSA Forum at Shakey;s UN Avenue.
The
Philippines has gone home empty-handed during the last two
Olympics in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. The last time the
country won a medal was through Mansueto "Onyok"
Velasco, who took the silver in boxing in the 1996 Atlanta
Olympics.
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Now,
however, the Philippines has only one bet in boxing
in Harry Tanamor (light flyweight) and Puentevella admitted
that it's going to be an arduous task.
The
country sent four boxers each in the 2000 and 2004 Olympiads-including
Tanamor-and still went home medal-less.
"It's
a long hard climb. This is probably going to be the
toughest Olympics in modern history," admitted
Puentevella, who is also the first vice president of
the Philippine Olympic Committee.
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Taekwondo
is also sending its leanest team in three Olympics with Tshomlee
Go and Mary Antoinette Rivero, who both competed in the Athens
Games.
"This
is going to be a lean and mean group with probably just a
maximum of 15 athletes," said Puentevella, also the weightlifting
president.
Two
slots will be reserved for athletics even if no Filipino athlete
qualifies as participation in the centerpiece event is a requirement
by the International Olympic Committee.
The
other athletes who have so far qualified for Beijing are swimmers
Miguel Molina, James Walsh, Ryan Arabejo, Daniel Coakley and
Christel Simms, divers Sheila Mae Perez and Ryan Rexel Fabriga,
archer Mark Javier and shooter Eric Ang.
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